Re: LANGUAGE LAWS

On Sat, 24 Oct 1998 15:17:06 -0400 Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> writes:
>David G. Durand wrote:
>> Twin languages, while often consigned to the dustbin of lanauge
>pathology,
>> are also very interesting because they are also "spontaneously
>generated"
>> linguistic structures. [Twin languages are private langauges
>occasionally
>> evolved by identical twins (or siblings), especially if they are
>isolated
>> from wide social contact by parental abuse or handicap.]
>It's my impression that twin languages are almost always created by
>identical twins, it's just a matter of how long it lasts.  Also, I was
>under the impression that those were simply alterations (frequently
>phonetic) of their parents' language.  I'd have to ask my uncle if he
>remembers anything of his.  He and my dad (who's deceased) were
>identical twins and had just such a twin-language.
As far as me and my identical-twin brother remember, we never had one of
these.  However, when we were growing up (until about sixth grade) i
mumbled very badly, and spoke in a very low voice - the total effect of
which was that when i talked, my mouth barely moved, creating long
strings of amorphous consonants and vowels which no one could decipher
easily - except for my brother.  He would "interpret" between me and my
parents.  But eventually, when we began to really get on eachother's
nerves like any siblings who share a room together for their entire
lives, he lost the ability (or so he says) to understand my mumblings.
I still mumble somewhat and speak in a lower voice than other people, but
it's much more comprehensible now.
Also, i think for a while i couldn't pronounce /T/ in all
positions.....or maybe it was /t/.  I think i said it as /s/.
For some reason, even though i speak relatively :) normally, i still
can't un-mumble the way i recite the qidush on friday night.  When i try
to enunciate it i just start stumbling over the words, getting the
opposite effect of what i was trying to do.

-Stephen (Steg)

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